Costa Rica Mobile Subscribers Up 10.5% To 8.3 Million in 2016

Mobile penetration reached 170%. In 2011 the number of cellular lines was 4.1 million.

Q COSTA RICA – Mobile telephony subscribers in Costa Rica rose 10.5% to 8.33 million in 2016, an increase of 795,000 new mobile lines, of which almost 8 in 10 corresponded to the prepaid services, according to a report from the telecommunications regulator, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SUTEL).

The SUTEL report says that each day there are 2,180 new subscriptions, while voice consumption dropped 8% and data rose 63%.

The penetration rate stood rose to 170 lines per 100 inhabitants compared to 156 lines per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2015. The three leading operators were state-owned ICE with 53.3 percent of the market (down from 72.8 percent in 2012), followed by Telefonica (25.7%) and America Movil (19.7%).

The three leading operators were: Kolbi (operated by state-owned ICE) with 53.3% of the market (down from 72.8% in 2012), followed by Movistar (Spain’s Telefonica) wit 25.7% and Claro (Mexico’s America Movil) with 19.7%.